Post by Evan De Parker on Dec 22, 2012 22:00:15 GMT -4
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
Our scene fades in to reveal the calm, yet virtually expressionless face of Evan Envi. He is sitting in a tattered, brown leather-esque rocking chair that looks astronomically out of place wherever we are.
It’s early morning time, evident by the sunrise in the background. The room we are in doesn’t belong to Evan Envi-- we can tell because it’s not painted completely
Manhattan.
”Well, this is a shame, isn’t it? I was waiting all day yesterday to see things come to an end... Fire raining out of the sky’s ass, gargantuan icicles plummeting from the clouds... Somethin’. But no. It’s the same tired shit. It’s the same song and dance. Same tired people. Same washed-up, has-been, motherf-- ya know what irritates me?”
Evan leans forward, interrupting himself, apparently that alarmed by whatever has just crossed his mind.
”I hate when people that have already lived their best days and fought their best battles try to come and hog the spotlight from the young bucks... And that’s something that happens a LOT in this business, y’know? I mean, you don’t see Shaq or Magic Johnson running back onto the court for a chance to play in the middle of March, do you?
“No. Of course not.
“Yet, here we are, a month away from Survive & Conquer, and some antiqued ass-rabbit named John Dionysus decides that I should be paying attention to him. I shouldn’t worry myself with the dozens of companies that are looking at APW, wishing to take part in the biggest wrestling event in the world, trying to come here and kick MY ass... No... I should be focusing and spending all of my time and energy on Dionysus, a guy that hasn’t been able to make a splash since he lost the Xtreme Title to Steve frickin’ Stryker five months ago.
“And after enough poking and prodding, you know what, John? You got me. All of me, and I hope you’re ready.”
There is a knock at the door. Evan looks confused at first and glances at his watch, but his face brightens when the time provokes a realization in his head. As if on cue, the person on the other side knocks once again, this time announcing himself.
”Room service!”
”Brilliant...”
Evan makes his way to the door and pulls it open, revealing a young man-- not likely a day over eighteen-- wheeling a dolly. Evan gestures toward the table in the corner of the living room section of the suite, and the man wheels the cart over to it, placing two styrofoam trays on the table...
...Evan smirks as the worn, antique chair catches the boy’s eye. The young man has a fine tan despite the time of year, and has his black hair neatly combed and slicked back. High class if Evan had ever seen it.
”Is that ours?”
”Hahaha, no. It actually used to belong to my grandfather. I’m flying it back home after my show tomorrow night... You won’t have to worry about it come Monday morning.”
The boy’s eyes, and his disgusted glance, haven’t left the chair.
”Let’s hope not. It’s rather old, isn’t it?”
”Some would say it’s seasoned, yes.”
Throughout the conversation, Evan tabs through his wallet, retrieving several small bills and presents it to the boy.
”It won’t be an eyesore for long.”
The boy smiles as he looks at the amount of cash in his hand and gives Evan a quick nod before turning and wheeling the empty dolly out of the room and back into the hallway. Evan closes and locks the door behind him and turns back to the camera, giving us an expectant look... The look a friend gives another friend when he wants to silently ask “Did you see that?”
”It’s shit like this, John.”
Evan slaps the back of the chair, causing it to jerk forward and rock gently, to and fro for a few moments.
”People-- normal people don’t like to see old, worn, beat up junk lying around because it’s not aesthetically pleasing. I mean... Why have this old-ass chair in here anyway when there’s a perfectly new, barely-touched one sitting right over there?
“Why do people hold onto things and regard them as ‘legendary’ and ‘antique’, afraid to say what they really mean?
“You think I’m holding onto this chair because I give a damn about how long my grandfather has had it, John? You think 1944 in Italy means that much to me?”
Evan smirks and sits down in the chair, folding his arms in front of his chest.
”This chair is worth thousands of dollars, and it’s because there are millions of idiots out there willing to pay me that kind of money... Millions of idiots that can’t let go of the past. You see-- we give people and things titles and labels like ‘legendary’ and ‘antique’ because it allows us to hide how guilty we are when we find ourselves simply wanting to throw it away and replace it.
“When I was a kid, my dad had this baseball that he kept in his trophy case at home. It wasn’t anything special. He didn’t win any championships with that ball and it wasn’t signed by anybody famous, but he held onto it and put it up behind glass like it was some sort of idol... And he put it there for the world to see, just because he had it since he was a kid. It was something he held onto for so long, John... So... Long...
“But if you looked at it, you’d see that it was barely held together by the seams. Another home run would have destroyed that ball. You see-- it didn’t mean shit to my dad. And to be honest, it probably still doesn’t.
“He used that ball to death, and one day, he realized that it couldn’t take anymore. It wasn’t gonna take another beating... The thing had seen its last game, and it was a miracle that it hadn’t been lost already.
“So he cast it aside. Forgot about it. Maybe he saw it when he was moving around in his day-to-day routine, but he never cared about it. Then one day... Maybe after a few years when he married my mom and moved into the house that became my childhood home, he found it again, and he decided all of a sudden that it meant something to him...
“It was worthless. But it had been beaten up, and it had been held onto. It couldn’t be salvaged, but it could be remembered.
“Propped up, behind glass, as if it holds some sort of importance...
“And the more I looked at it, every day, seeing what the people on the outside couldn’t see, the more I realized that there was nothing special about it...
“It was no different from any of the others. It looked a little different, and maybe it sounded a little differenr when you struck it, but it was the same as any old ball. Just old.
“Like you.”
Evan gazes into the camera behind cold, focused eyes. The corner of his mouth twitches upward in what looks to be the beginning of a smirk. He sighs and goes on, casting a glance toward the food on the table behind him, but he turns his attention to the camera once more.
”You’re smart, John. You know that I can make people care about you because I can do what nobody else has-- for whatever reason-- been able to do at this point, right?
“I can end your career.”
He grins, bright and wide. He leans forward and speaks just above a whisper.
”The saying is, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, am I right? So... So in theory, you’d become a hero. A martyr if I were to put you down at Christmas Chaos, and you’d finally get what you wanted... Fiiiiiiiiiiinally after all these years of trying, and trying, John, to make a name for yourself.
“I’ll make you an antique.
“I’ll make you LEGENDARY, Mr. Dionysus.”
Slowly, Evan’s eyes grow wide at the prospect and he laughs lightly under his breath, gripping the leather-esque arms of the chair as he stares into the lens, through the glass and past us-- right into the face of John Dionysus on the other side.
”And you won’t even have to thank me. I know you have too much pride and self-respect to admit in front of alllll of those people that what you wanted this whole time was to be crippled by a legend in the making... It gives you an excuse. It gives you a reason to bow out without looking like a total tool. You get to say that you were-- you were too injured to wrestle another match because I broke your arms, or your neck, or your back...
“And after I take your career, you get to be one of the many people that tries to take credit for who I am.
“For what I’m becoming.”
Evan chuckles.
”That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? You want me to hurt you in this match. You WANT ME TO!
“You’re sick... You know that? Hahaha, you’re a sick bastard, John. And I gotta give you credit. You’ve got some balls coming at me week after week like you’re out of your damn mind, stalking me backstage, begging me for a match like this... Hahahaha, a match in front of the world. A match in Madison Square Garden... You’ve got balls.”
Evan closes one eye and raises a thumb, index, and middle finger up in the form of a finger-pistol. He aims it at the camera.
”And I’m gonna break ‘em. Am I right? Hahahahaha!”
He pulls the invisible trigger and mouths ”bang!” as he fires the invisible bullet at the camera.
”And I’ll smoke you out there in front of all those people in New York City. It’s gonna be a hell of a match, John. I’ll give you credit-- you’re a hell of a wrestler. You might give me a run from my money, but when it comes down to it, you’re gonna choke. You’re going to screw everything up at a really pivotal moment because you’re that kinda guy and-- and I’m gonna capitalize.
“You’ll choke because you’re not a star anymore, John. You want the limelight just like any other wrestler, but subconsciously, you’re afraid of staying in it. You haven’t been the center of attention for so long, you don’t know how to be. You won’t beat me because when it comes down to it... You’ve forgotten how.
I’m gonna jump all over you and I may even crack your skull. I’m gonna put you on your back... Because I’m that kinda guy.”
Evan angles his head and speaks somewhat quietly.
”Do you know what I did on the last Overdrive of 2012, John?”
He pauses and raises his hand to his ear, pretending to listen out for John Dionysus’ response before he straightens his posture and looks directly into the camera, looking slightly amused.
”I beat Kurt Noble... The Extreme Tournament finalist, former Overdrive Champion, former Undisputed Champion, crazy Kurt Noble. I hit him with the Guess Who and I defeated him in the middle of the ring aaaaaaand what were you doing?
“Oh, right. You were watching. You’ve gotten good at that.”
Evan laughs again and raises his voice a little.
”But, ya know, what should I have expected? Every time you get in the ring, you come so close to winning and then you just muck it all up, don’t you? Why embarrass yourself the closer we get to Christmas Chaos? See, the thing about you is that I know you’re good. All the guys and girls in the back and all the fans know that too, but you’re just so inconsistent. Somehow you’re considered a damn-near legend in this business and I’m not, but I’m busting my ass every week, picking up win after win after win.
“Why is it that when the Xtreme Title is mentioned, everybody talks about the boring, monotonous months that you held the championship, but whenever my name comes up, they mention that I got pinned by Nick Watson in a sham of a finish in a travesty of a match?
“Why is it that you, a LOSER, gets more respect than I do when I’ve proven that I am more than capable of carrying Action Packed Wrestling on my back?! Huh?! Why isn’t my face on the program? Why don’t I have my own calendar? Where’s my custom championship?
“When do I get my Undisputed Title shot and the things that I deserve? How long is it before I have to stop teaching lessons to people like you that think that it’s okay to stick your nose in my business? WHAT do I have to do to get it through everybody’s head?!
“No! Wait! Don’t answer that.”
Evan raises one finger in the air to “pause” everybody but then points the finger at the lens.
”I have to make an example out of you. I’ll bring your head back to Overdrive on a fucking stick and the rest of the locker room-- no-- the rest of the company will be on notice, especially with Delikado at my side. It’s only a matter of time before everything in this company is mine. All of this. Everything you see... Everything you love... One day it’ll belong to me. One day, it’ll belong to Envikado.
“The real APW.”
Evan closes his eyes and sighs.
”And in my vision for the future, John...
“You’re nowhere to be found.”
Evan smirks and opens his eyes as we cut away to black.
***
”So are you really gonna hurt him?”
The scene blinks in to show the excited face of Jenny Knite. Her blonde hair is curled and falls loosely down and around her shoulders as she looks at Evan. She stares at Evan as he pulls a shirt on, preparing for the potentially hour-long trip to Buffalo for the Meltdown Super Show.
”I don’t think you need to worry too much about my match against Dionysus. I’ll do what I need to do and... You need to worry about nothing more. Go back to scheduling me commercial spots and autographs signings.”
Jenny sighs.
”Why don’t you let me in?”
”Because you’re crazy obsessive and you’re not my girlfriend. And you come to my hotel room unannounced and stare at me while I get dressed. Why-- why the hell would I let you into anything? Listen to the shit you say.”
”You make it sound so bad.”
Jenny shakes her head, disapprovingly.
”I’m sorry that when I talk to you, my primary concern is your career. What does Michelle talk to you about? Christmas? We can talk about Christmas if you want.”
”Ugh. You’re not Michelle... So don’t worry about it.”
”Did you finish all your Christmas shop--?”
”Jenny!”
She gasps and looks at Evan in dismay as Evan snaps at her, now seated on the edge of his bed, pulling his Converse Chuck Taylors onto his feet. He looks up at her with a pleading look.
”You’re my agent. Act like it?”
”I’m trying.”
”You’re not trying very hard.”
”How am I supposed to be your agent when you won’t even talk to me about your match, Ev?”
Evan finally pulls both of his shoes on and sighs, pushing himself up from the bed. He slings his gym bag over his shoulder and motions for the door, where Jenny leads the way out of the suite and out to the hallway. Evan responds to her as the two make their way to the elevator.
”I’m gonna do whatever I feel is necessary.”
”Well, what’s the ultimate goal here...? What exactly are we trying to accomplish?”
The two approach the elevator and Evan laughs a bit, pushing the “down” arrow that summons the elevator. He turns to Jenny Knite and winks.
”We’re trying to let John know that it’s not safe, rollin’ around with the pups. Sometimes you get bit. Sometimes... A little worse. Y’know?”
”So you’re going to try to hurt him?”
Evan turns and looks at the elevator. He smiles politely at a young couple as they step off of the elevator. The girl doesn’t give Evan a second glance, but the boy turns, looking starstruck and in awe as they make their way down the corridor, with the silver, metallic doors of the hotel elevator closing in front of Jenny and Evan.
”I might hurt him. Who knows? Depends how I’m feeling, I guess.”
”Evan-- Evan what if he wins?”
”The match?”
”Yes.”
Evan smiles over at her.
”I’ll win the war, then. This isn’t going to be over at the end of the night on Sunday, Jenny. I feel that. John has something that he has to prove, and no matter what, he’s going to go to great lengths to do it... And it’s not gonna be at my expense. He’s not me. 2013 is supposed to me my year, and I’m not ending 2012 looking like some sort of pushover or loser...
“I won’t.”
The elevator arrives at ground level.
”And to answer your question...”
He turns and casts Jenny another smile.
”No. I didn’t finish all my Christmas shopping. There’s still one more person I need to find a gift for.”
”John Dionysus?”
The doors open and Evan looks ahead, still smirking, and shakes his head.
”No. That wasn’t some sort of wrestling metaphor... Come on.”
He gives her a gentle nudge and steps out of the elevator. Jenny follows him, hurriedly.
”Wait! Who is it then?”
She groans as Evan continues walking.
”Is it me? Who-- Evan? Evan! Ugh.”
She follows Evan, forced to take long strides to keep up with his quick pace. The camera fades away from the duo and pans back up, several stories to Evan Envi’s hotel suite. It focuses on the tattered, worn, antiqued rocking chair for several seconds... Before we abruptly fade to black.
